Parallel Universe-safe and sound
by IBelieveInMyDoctor
Summary: After the events of "Journey s end" Rose and the half-human Doctor have to adjust to the new situation. Although it worked well for the first months the two of them have to deal with "common" relationship-problems as well as with alien-threats and the simple challenge of becoming domestic.
1. Prologue-Every beginning is hard

She sat at the windowsill of the living-room and starred outside. The garden lay there, quiet and calm, the sunlight supported the peaceful atmosphere. Colourful flowers and green grass normally characterized the garden in which she had usually sat with the Doctor on the warm days of summer. Rose would never start to really call the half-human Doctor John Smith even if everyone else did. But now it started to become autumn and the garden had lost much of its charm. It was not as full of live and colours as it had been in the summer. The only things that held its appearance was Rose´s imagination and the effort he had actually put into it. However, it could not calm her down now but remembered her of all the times she had tried to avoid the Doctor´s company by fleeing to the gardening.

Their relationship had gone well for the first two months and then it had started to break. She knew that he loved her, that was not the problem. But he was so different from the man she fell in love with. Of course she loved him. it was just that she sometimes could not cope with him complaining. The problem was neither that he was complaining at all- it was his right to do so- but the way he did so. He could hurt her, really hurt her, in a way the real Doctor would have never been able to do. The worst thing about this was, that he never intended to hurt her. It was just a part of his character, half Rose´s doctor and half his former companion Donna Noble.

She ran her fingers through her hair and tried not to cry about the memory on their last fight. He had come home from work, she had not done the household completely. That would not have been such a big deal if she had not promised him to do so. He had not even been that angry, he had just made a joke she could not bear and then it had somehow escalated. She was insecure, he felt rejected. Rose tried so hard to comfort him in any possible way but that was not always as easy as it sounded.

She pressed her fist against her lips, holding back her tears because she knew exactly that if she cried, the Doctor would hear her trough the walls. He was always concerned about her, he directly sensed when she did not feel well and now he probably did only stay away from her because he knew he hurt her.

"Darling." Rose winced at the sound of his voice. He had not even knocked at the doorframe. She turned around, her face distorted of wrench. He did not ask how she felt because he already knew. He just stood there, glanced at her with a suffering expression in his face. "I am sorry, Rose. I know that I should not have shouted at you. Please forgive me." He looked like a beaten dog and Rose directly started to wonder how she could have been angry with him.

"No, Doctor. I am sorry." She slid off of the windowsill, tears still shining in her eyes. "I´ve always dreamed of being back together with you and now that I have what I want I can´t handle it. I love you, Doctor. I just have to adjust with the situation."

He did not answer but pulled her into a deep embrace, kissing the top of her head. She felt his lips touching her trough her thick, blonde hair. She could smell him and for one second she forgot everything else. The world around her, their fights, the fact that it was getting colder every day. All the things that turned her depressed and powerless did not count, now that she laid in his arms.

"I love you, too, Rose. More that you´ll ever know."


	2. Chapter 1-I try my best

"I dunno what I should say, actually" Rose started to speak after a long period of silence. Her voice was soft and quiet. She was holding a cup of tea between her hands and looked at the Doctor who sat on the other side of the table.

"You don´t need to say anything."

"Yes, I do. We can´t go on like this, can we? I really thought about what my problems are and..." She took a sip of her tea. „I think I should work at Torchwood on a regular basis again. It kills me to only be there three days a week. I know you don´t want me to get hurt but that is what I love. And I love it because of you."

The Doctor did not seem surprised at all. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"I knew you were going to say that." Even if he was human and had not lived and experienced all the adventures with Rose the memories about it where his own. He knew the blonde woman better than anyone else and had already started to wonder how she could cope with the ordinary life. He had his problems with it, too, which had been his main reason to start working at Torchwood´s Alien defense and Research branches. However, he was really concerned about Rose´s well-being. He had lost her once, he would not lose her again.

"You are not going to forbid it, are you?" He saw doubt glittering in her eyes.

"No I´m not. How could I? Either way, I knew you would ask me if you can go back to your full-time job. I´m only surprised it took you three months before you did it."

"We could work together again, you know." Rose smiled, winked at him and took another sip from her tea-cup- She glanced at him over the rim of her cup and in this moment the Doctor would have sworn that she was the most beautiful woman in all the universes. No make-up, lazily done, hardly brushed hair. She was still in her nightie what made him remember last night. They had not slept with each other. They just had lied in bed, had cuddled and talked. About their jobs, their first date, how they imagined their lives to be in the future. Nevertheless or maybe just because of that it had been one of the best times the Doctor had ever had.

"To be honest I already told Steven to expect you back to work any day. Your old job is open for you to sign back in."

"Oh, Doctor, I love you. I love you. I love you." Rose put down her tea-cup, raised and walked around the table. She embraced the Doctor and kissed him enthusiastically. He raised his hands, placed them on her back and responded the kiss gently and passionately. The touch of their lips sent shivers down their spines. They both felt a tingling in the stomach. It was a short moment of joy and harmony, shared in a situation that too rarely took place in their relationship.

She let loose of him, adjusted her nightie and looked at her boyfriend. Her smile was covering all the doubt that still grew in her chest. She had had her problems to accept the half-human Doctor at her side. She had closed this chapter of her life for a long time. Then she had come back into the Doctor´s universe just to be confronted with him leaving her again and replacing himself with a faith but not accurate copy. Life was hard and she was struggling everyday- with her feelings, with her situation, with the boredom between the walls of her home.

"Well, Doctor. I am going to get ready. Daddy wants to take me to the theatre."

"Yes, I know." His voice sounded weak as if he knew that she was going to do something he did not approve of but could not prevent either.

Well, then." She turned away and left the kitchen, just early enough to not see the smiling mask falling from his face. He starred at the door, the courners of his mouth had dropped the moment she had stopped facing him. She had seemed fine and happy but he knew that this would not last long. Yes, the moments they were together, laughed together and might even touch each other could be the happiest of their lives but they were just that: moments. Not a steady state they both felt comfortable with. He was a traveler, she was a fighter. He needed the journeys, she the adventure. But they had gone through too much, had experienced too intensely what it meant to lose the beloved one, to allow each other to live their dreams to any extent. Even thinking about Rose being back at Torchwood´s defensive mission branch made his heart grow cold. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face with his waists. He was desperate, really desperate. They had had the best of times together, they had traveled the whole of time and space, had been to so many lovely and exiting places. They had faced death and they had saved the universe. This parallel universe was nothing in comparison to that, just a shadow of the life they could have had. What preyed on his mind the most was that he still remembered his extraordinary life even if he had not lived it. He was just a normal human, one heart, no TARDIS, no Sonic Screwdriver, damned to live with the memory of the last of the Time Lords, the greatest and loneliest man in history. He was not made to be bound to one time and place and yet not provided with the possibilities to live another life.

He was not blaming Rose that she was holding him back because she did not. Aside from that it would even be sorer if he had to live without her. She was his buttress, his home, his heaven. Nothing in all the universes could ever make him leave her again, even if that meant that he needed to soft-pedal his wishes. She was his last support even when everything around him was ending, fading away.

Later that day the Doctor phoned Steven from Torchwood to inform him that Rose would now definitely return to her former job. It hurt him to do it but he knew that he would do anything to do his girlfriend a favour. He would even deny his own desires and hopes. He wanted to see her happy, to save this fragile thing they had and that others might call a relationship. He did not like the term because he thought that the thing between him and Rose was much more than just a relationship. Somehow it had been love at first sight. It had started as a small flame, almost too small to even be noticed but then this flame had grown bigger and bigger. There had been more than just the traveling. Not confessed love has filled every inch between them. They were soulmates, made to be with each other. To him she was stunning and beautiful, strong and independent. She did not need him, she had proven that, but still she wanted to stay by his side. However, this made it even harder to go through all the arguments and fights. But he was confident, that they would make it. They would always be able to get over what they had said to each other, even if they had started shouting and insulting.

"I could arrange that Rose will not be sent to the dangerous missions, John."

"No, Steven. Thank you very much, but that is not what I want. I don´t want to frustrate her. She will know what´s best for her."

"Okay, if you are fine with it that´s it. She can come straight in this monday. We´ve got a lot to do, anyway."

When Rose came back he welcomed her with a bright smile.

"Welcome back, darling. You know, I might have tried to make diner but you know how untalented I am when it comes to cooking so...I just called the pizza-service to celebrate your job-comeback."

The way she glanced at him after she had put off her jacket spoke volumes. The smile that spread on her lips told him that this evening was going to be fine, no fighting, no screaming, no crying. Just the two of them, a pizza and a bottle of good wine.


	3. Chapter 2-Back to work, back to life

"State your name, profession and division, please."

"Rose Tyler, soldier and strategist, alien-defense."

"Confirmed, you might pass now, Miss Tyler."

Rose walked through the security scan at Torchwood´s main entrance. The smile on her face was shining bright of all her delight. It was like she now was freed from chains that had bound her without her noticing. The Doctor had turned her into a warrior, this was her life now. She needed it, the adventure, the fights. Hunting aliens in the middle of the night. If someone had told her a few years ago that she would be like that one day she would have shaken her head in disbelieve. The moment she had met the Doctor her life had changed so rapidly that she had not even been able to think about it. When he had left her she had not stopped this way of living. She had signed in into Torchwood´s recruiting-program. She had not been one of the best but she had been dedicated and stubborn and had been able to put "gave up the love of her life to save the universe" on her reference-list so they had taken her anyways. They had never regretted electing her for field-operation and strategics, although she had only dealt with the latter of it in Torchwood´s offices. When it had come to real operations and missions she had just been a normal and ordinary soldier. And she still was not more. However, it was all she could ask for. She was happy this way.

Now she walked down the long corridor on her way to the alignment-office. Well, they called it "office". It was rather a separated section of the building. It once had been only one room but as Torchwood and its reach had grown, the section had grown as well.

The heels of Rose´s black pumps made clattering noises on the stony ground. Her footsteps were resolute and confident. This was her terrain, her determination. She was meant to be here more than everywhere else-besides maybe sleeping in the same bed as the doctor. She rang the bell on the door that formed the entrance to the alignment-office.

"Please state your name and your access-level"

"Rose Tyler, access-level B"

The buzzer went and the door swung open. Rose had promised herself not to be overhelmed but right now she broke this promise. She had not been here for the last two months and the feeling of coming home astonished her. She stood there, unable to move until a woman, dressed in a blue lady´s suit walked towards her.

"Rose", she greeted her. Her dark hair was coiffed into an elegant and difficult looking bun. Her facial features were sharp and normally seemed predominant and self-assured. Now those expressions were wiped away by a big, genuine smile. "I am so happy to see you again. I knew it only was a question of time until you would return."

"Patricia" was anything, Rose could answer before she was pulled into a deep embrace. As she wrapped her arms around the woman who could easily be her mother, she knew that it had been right to confront the Doctor with her wish to properly come back to her old working-place. She had seen Patricia once and then but the older often was too busy to have the time for a proper meeting. Now they could be busy together again.

Patricia let loose of Rose and turned around. "Guys, look who´s here again. Rose!" She said loudly, making all the heads in the entrance-hall turn. The welcome that followed was hearty but short. Another voice cut of the stream of laughing and chatting.

"I´m sorry to interrupt all of you. I am as happy as you to see Miss Tyler back at work but I´m afraid I need her...now." Rose looked up and directly into Steven Marwick´s face. At an age of 30 he already was the head not only of the strategic and assignment division but also was the alien-defense branch´s superior. Every planned mission must be reported to him and then he might or might not give his okay on them. Even though he was pretty young for this job he did it very well. They could not wish for someone else to guide them.

"How´s your wife, Mr Marwick?" she asked as she was walking side by side with him to the main organisation-room. They had a good relationship to each other but it was all based on their work together and although the Doctor tended to address him with his first name Rose still was not that familiar with him.

"She´s fine, still recovering but who expects giving birth to be easy!? She is alright, healthy just like the baby." Marwick turned to her, a big smile spread over his face and his eyes were sparkling. It had been a week since the announcement of birth had lied in the postbox of the Tyler-Smith-household and had filled both of them with delight as well as with thought and worries concerning their own future. Although they had not talked about it with each other, it had been obvious and almost touchable in the tension between them. This tension had not been bad all over. Yes, Rose had been overly concerned about every little argument and the Doctor had been silent for hours just to avoid exactly these arguments. But then there had been fire in their glances and passion in their touches. It were all those little thing that showed them that they could do it, that made them confident that they would make it through.

"I am glad to hear that", Rose replied and this was everything that was needed to say. Marwick´s wife had struggled for the last weeks. Struggled with pain and a light, overall sickness. Even the doctors and specialist had not certainly known what had been wrong with her and to hear she that she was well again was a huge relief.

They reached the door to the main office, Marwick pulled his card through the scanner and the door opened immediately. Behind it lay a minimum of 40 tables, every of them with laptops and a lot of paperwork on it. Men and women sat behind most of these tables, concentrated on work and research. This was an image she had missed very much and now there was a feeling of almost melancholy that ran through her whole body. There were always two sides to a coin. Howsoever the thought of how uncomfortable the Doctor was with her working ambitions could not throw a real shadow over her emotions now. Just the next moment the smile was back on her face, genuine and true.

"Your place is over there" Marwick pointed at one of the tables. No papers and an empty chair, she had found it on her own. "I am very sorry that we don´t have time for a real welcome but we really are busy and I need to hand you some files you can directly work on. You need to work on to be more precisely."

"Oh no, it´s no problem. That´s why I´m here, isn´t it?"

Marwick laughed and accompanied her to her working-place. It was almost like she had never been away. She sat down and turned the laptop on.

"Can I still log on with my former data?"

"Yes, we knew you would come back one day so we kept them saved. I will send you someone to bring you the files. It´s two of them and it would be perfect if we could count on you to have at least read it until tomorrow. It´s urgent and we need someone to rate the current situation. Someone who´s new to the topic. You are a good strategist. I am certain that you can help us."

Rose typed in her password and looked up at his face. She could see that the situation was not critical but still one they should all be concerned about.

"I´ll be prepared for the meeting tomorrow."

When she came home, she brought the files with her. The Doctor was on the phone, talking and arguing, while he ran up and down in the kitchen. His laptop stood turned on at the table. His hair was ruffled, his glasses askew on his nose.

"I´m back" was everything Rose said. She did not want to disturb or distract him because she could read on his face that it was serious business. He waved at her and typed something into his laptop. The keyboard clattered under his frantic fingers. When he started to talk his voice was surprisingly calm, a harsh contrast to his behaviour.

"No, I´ve got no idea. This was my last...yes, I will think about it and tell you about it as soon as I know what we can try next. Yes...yes, goodbye."

Rose leaned against the doorframe and watched him how he ran his fingers first though his hair and then over his mouth. The expression on his face revealed doubt. The Doctor sighed before he glanced at his girlfriend.

"Trouble?"

"Well, we try to integrate the alien technology from the space-ship that crashed down in Glasgow. It´s more complicated than we thought but we need to hold on to it because we need the progress, the general threat by extraterrestrial forces has grown too much over the last months."

"Yes, I know." Rose raised the hand in which she held the folder but the Doctor hardly noticed her. Instead he continued talking on high speed.

"This would have been easy with the TARDIS. She could just analyse the technology and rewrite its code into circular Gallifreyan and I know how to convert a Gallyfreiyan code into the simple binary code of the humans. But I don´t even speak Gallifreyan anymore and although we deciphered the code-after a fashion to be honest- and have got a makeshift binary code for it, it does not work. Of course there´s more to it than just the code but as long as our systems don´t accept it, every effort in developing the weapons that could actually use it would be absolutely senseless. It´s so disappointing."

Rose just stood there and looked at him. She could not even say a word. It almost hurt her to see the Doctor like this. Her Doctor. Well, her not-really-the-Doctor-but-someone-quite-similar, she corrected herself. He suffered so much because he had lost most of his skills. Just because he had a human body did not mean that he felt like a human. And he did not. He remembered all of his life as a Time-Lord. Over nine hundred years of travelling through time and space. All the things he had achieved. Rose was certain that this would always be one of his biggest problems. The knowledge of his former life was like the maximum penalty for something he had not even done. She wanted to say something. Something about how he put all his effort into the development of weapons and that this was not the Doctor she thought she had known. But she knew that this was too delicate, too dangerous in this situation. She did not want him to break down and God, he had seen him doing so. The Doctor did not move, he stood opposite her, his arms dangling at his sides. The tension was almost tangible and Rose had to fight back the impulse to pull him into his arms. This would not improve the situation, not even a little.

Then the Doctor was the one to break the silence by attaching a smile to his face that was not really genuine but at least it showed that he was really interested in the question he asked.

"But enough of me, how was your first day back at strategy?"

Rose heaved a silent sigh of relief. She sat down at one of the kitchen-chairs and waited until the Doctor had done the same. And then she started to talk.


End file.
